One person that committed has yet to join. Don't make me make another game!

One day at a time, sweet Jesus. One day at a time.
However, one can just say 'f* it'. I choose this.

Right okay, game is on. Grey press can go out anytime during opening diplomacy and then after Spring and Fall moves. If builds/destroys can be readied up quicker, everyone would be happy. If they can't, they can't. Please date the grey press per Gen Lee's recommendation, and no other general comments in this thread to try to keep it manageable.

Fall 1901(grey press) someone needs to start this off.

One fine day in the middle of the night,
Two dead players got up to fight,
Back to back they faced each other,
Drew their knives and stabbed one another.

It started in on a day with tea and crumpets,
In Liverpool I wasn't sure what to think of it,
At the top of the Eiffel on that day,
I decided to decsind the Berlin Wall and Bon my way,

I would make my attack from the Vatican,
They would never expect a Serbian to quite so good at badminton,
Distracted by a game with birdies and racquets,
The archduke could make a move that may prove tragic,

The beaches of the eastern med is where is will begin,
To sew the story of how you all met your end.

If you don't believe my tale is true,
Go ask the blind man,
He saw it too.

Fall 1901 (grey press)

Article in "The Zurich Yodeler" Magazine: Europe At War (Again)

Yes I know, big surprise. Those silly non-neutral and non-impassable countries seem to fight so often we can time our watches by it. Which brings me to the point of this article. Why should yodelers like us care about the violence going on in the rest of Europe? Because we can have fun discussing rumors and taking bets on the outcomes, that's why! Every issue we will share with you opinions from random people we meet on the Alpine ski slopes.

-"I hear people already condemning Austria and Russia to defeat already, and though I agree with them, I recognize that both of them still have a chance of getting new armies or fleets built this year. If they do that they will not be down and out yet."
-"I find it interesting that no nation is occupying the vital land around Switzerland, the closer you are to us the more tactically important it is. That's my opinion at least. Not only are Munich and Marseilles empty, but so are Burgundy, Piedmont, and Tyrolia."
-"Scandinavia seems like it could be in for more fighting than the Balkans, we'll have to wait and see if the Germans and English follow through with what seem to be movements towards there, but it still isn't clear enough for me to say for certain."
-"I know it seems like Russia and Turkey seem at each others' throats, but I'm betting that it is just a cover for a juggernaut. I bet a lot of money on that so I'm holding out for it to happen even if I have to wait a year or two."
-"My cousin visited France last year, and they always seemed angry at the English, he tells me that he wasn't surprised that they ended up moving into the Channel towards England instead of sending more troops south to secure the whole Iberian peninsula."
-"I think those Italians are over-eager in attacking Austria so soon, clearly Russia will delay any help against Austria until after the Turkish question is resolved. If I were them I would have just kept my armies to myself and be satisfied with staying fairly neutral the first year and only taking Tunis."

Have some juicy info of your own to share? Or perhaps you just love purposely trying to spread false rumors, believable or not? Send your own theories in a letter to our editor!

The oracle asks her magic eight ball 8 questions about the European War:

Will Austria be able to make amends with any of their neighbors and hang on? Outlook not so good
Will Italy suffer for the early stab? Most likely
Will Germany bounce Russia from Sweden? Signs point to yes
Will Belgium be occupied by someone in the fall? Better not tell you now
Are Turkey and Russia working together? My sources say no.
Are France and Germany working together? Outlook uncertain, ask again later
Will France convoy to the English mainland this year? Very doubtful
Is Italy the least trustworthy player on the board? As I see it, yes

I am not very good at writing poetry so I only did one stanza and probably won't do this again. I'll probably focus on other places in the future; I just found this easier to rhyme.

There once was an army in Italy
That had zero sympathy
They cannot deny
They attacked an ally
And they'll continue very viciously

-- . ... ... .- --. . - --- .--. .- .-. .. ... .. -. - . .-. -.-. . .--. - . -.. -... -.-- --.. ..- .-. .. -.-. .... -.. --- -. --- - -.-. --- -. ...- --- -.-- . -..- .--. . -.-. - --. . .-. -- .- -. -.-- - .-. . .- -.-. .... . .-. -.--

http://mattfedder.com/cgi-bin/morse.pl

INTERCEPTED COMMUNICATION

SEND. ADVANCE PARTY CLEAR TO DEPART STUTTGART. ROUTE 75 MI. ETA 4 DAY. OUT.

-- . ... ... .- --. . - --- . -. --. .-.. .- -. -.. .. -. - . .-. -.-. . .--. - . -.. -... -.-- --.. ..- .-. .. -.-. .... -.-- --- ..- .-. -.. .- -.-- ... .- .-. . -. ..- -- -... . .-. . -.. -.. --- -. - - .-. ..- ... - .- -. -.-- --- -. . -... . - - . .-. ..-. .. -. -.. .- -. .- .-.. .-.. -.-- .- -. -.. --.- ..- .. -.-. -.-

Glad to see I have started a trend!

... - .- .-.. .. -. --. .-. .- -.. - --- -... . .-.. --. .-. .- -.. .

.-. ..- ... ... .. .- .... .- ... -- .- -.. . .- -.. . .- .-..
-.-- --- ..- -.- -. --- .-- .-- .. - .... .-- .... ---
-.-- --- ..- .-. ... ..- .--. .--. --- .-. - .-- .. .-.. .-.. ..-. .- .. .-..

. -. --. .-.. .- -. -.. .... .- ... ..-. --- ..- -. -.. .- -. .- .-.. .-.. -.--
..-. .-. .- -. -.-. . .-- .. .-.. .-.. -.. .. . .. -. .--. --- .-. - ..- --. .- .-..

INTERCEPTED COMMUNICATION

SEND. SQUAD AT HALF STRENGTH. FIGHTING INTENSE. PULLING BACK TO TIRANA. OUT.

Spring 1902: A couple haikus to enjoy this afternoon:

Make claims in dashes,
Make claims with dots, phase changes,
who's lying and who's not?

Your Credibility,
It is like your virginity,
Once lost, it is lost.

A stab is planned,
North or South, possibly its both?
He has many enemies.

That was kind of hard,
Thanks for help wordcalc.com,
If im lying im dying.

Fall 1902:

--. . .-. -- .- -. -.-- .. ... .- .-.. .. .- .-. .-.-.- .... .. ... -.. . -.-. . .--. - .. --- -. ... -.. --- -. --- - -.. .. ... -.-. .-. .. -- .. -. .- - . .-.-.-

So here's how it's going down see. Italy thinks she can play Austria and France and Germany and Russia all as fools and then choose sides in a few years, but she doesn't know her choice is coming sooner than that. France wants so badly to stab Germany, but yet doesn't. Coming time to make up her mind as well. Poor Germany, better not get stuck between France and Russia, no way that one can end well, pick one and attack like a mad dog. England and Turkey are now irrelevant, except as bargaining chips for other countries. Turkey, you may as well have fun on the way out and make things as difficult as possible. Who knows, Turkey has certainly survived with less while waiting for her neighbors to start stabbing each other indiscriminately.

bump

England is a sad puppy.

Now this is the story all about how
Austria's life got flipped, turned upside down
And I'd like to take a minute just sit right there
I'll tell you how Austria just screwed himself over

In west Budapest born and raised
In the balkans where he spent most of his days
Chilling out, maxing, relaxing all cool
And all shooting some Turks outside of a school
When a couple of Russians, they were up to no good
Started making trouble in his neighbourhood
He got in one little fight and his commanders got scared
And said "You're gonna stab your allies and have your friends be made of air"

He looked a little west and then he saw
that Venice was empty and moved his troops a little nearer
If anything Italy could say that this stab was rare
But he thought nah, forget it, yo homes to Venice!

Austria gained some centres to put him at about seven or eight
And yelled to his allies "Yo, homes smell you later!"
Looked at his kingdom he was finally there
To sit on his throne as the prince of Venice.

Now sadly this is not the prelude to a fun 90's comedy where Austria does something wrong but everything works out well in the end. This time his lesson will be one tough to learn. He has no allies now. Russia and France have managed to get him to denounce all his friends and the only way this will end is him being eliminated along with his former friends.

I'm getting a little lazy to be cute in this thread, so I'll just be boring and straightforward. The apparently new alliance that merged last turn is really unstable and can't last. Austria and Russia have unlimited opportunity to stab each other.

The only thing holding it together is that a stab could inadvertently give the third power a solo opportunity. Austria stabs Russia, France wins.

This game will either be a French solo or a 5 way draw is my guess. If France builds a fleet in the south Austria and Italy better make up quick or a southern stalemate won't be possible.